Breakfast at Lazy Hummingbird: Ocean Beach’s Lazy Hummingbird offers coffee, tea, pastries, live music, and even Fair Trade Peruvian textiles, but what it’s most famous for are its acai bowls. (The large size is truly gargantuan.) I love the intimacy and why-don’t-you-stay-a-while vibe, even though it strangely shares a space with FedEx. (That said, it’s the most laid-back, non-corporate FedEx you’ll ever see!) Lazy Hummingbird also has a welcoming patio, where customers and their four-legged friends relax, a comfy working area with free wifi, and a sweet, fun staff to boot.

Shopping in Ocean Beach: Head a half mile northeast to the Ocean Beach People’s Organic Market, a co-op grocery store and deli that’s a hallmark of this hippie, bohemian neighborhood. The prices are a bit steep—members who pay $15/year and first-timers get the reduced rate, while non-members pay a 10% surcharge—but the products are often organic, unique (i.e. pistachio butter), and sustainably minded. The deli upstairs is also a wonderful lunch option. Next door is the Blue Dot Refill, a mecca for eco-friendly bath and body products. Bring in an empty bottle (or grab one for free in the store) and fill with shampoos, conditioners, lotions, soaps, and more. Head back towards Lazy Hummingbird, and a few blocks away is Often Wander at Noon (above), a boutique of jewelry, furniture, prints, and beautiful, all-natural candles poured into vintage glass containers. (Photo via)

Time out at the Meditation Gardens: Let’s head north to Encinitas, the epitome of all things Zen, yogi, and bohemian in San Diego. (Fun fact: Encinitas is said to be the American birthplace of Ashtanga yoga.) At the lush Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens perched above Moonlight Beach, touch base with the calmer side of nature by meditating on a bench, gazing out to the ocean from the garden’s many vantage points, or taking a stroll through the succulent patches and Koi fish pond. Even if you’re not one with your spiritual side, it’s a beautiful place for some R&R. It’s also affiliated with the Self-Realization Fellowship, but all are welcome. And though photography is allowed, silence is golden. (Photo by Found Creative Studio)

Lunch at Haggos Organic Tacos: Lunch time! And in Encinitas, a visit to Haggo’s Organic Taco is a must. Their menu includes tacos that use non-GMO corn tortillas and are served with jasmine brown rice and organic red beans, burritos and quesadillas made with whole wheat tortillas, meat, seafood, and veg options, and a 98% organic stamp of approval. Translation: fresh, fresh, fresh! The space itself is a cozy, unassuming garden with colorful furniture and a casual, surfer attitude. (Photo via here and here)

Beacon’s Beach: Yes, Moonlight is family-friendly with its playground and restrooms, but it’s also often annoyingly packed. Instead, head over to Beacon’s on Neptune Avenue in nearby Leucadia for uninterrupted coastal beauty with hardly any crowds (and no bathrooms, FYI). There’s a fairly easy switchback path to get down to sand, and parking is split between a tiny lot and the residential area. (Photo by Taryn Kent)

Raw/vegan eats at Peace Pies: This cafe specializes in raw-, vegan-, gluten-, and soy-free food. That means tomatoes stuffed with basil hemp pesto, zucchini noodle lasagna, nachos topped with walnut meat, and nori wraps (above). They also prescribe to a zero waste policy, which, among other things, means they compost everything. So you can have your pie, and be green, too. Just make sure to get here early! Both the Encinitas and Ocean Beach locations close at 8 p.m. (Image via)

Glow-in-the-dark stand-up paddleboarding: Considering the clean dinner, you shouldn’t be too full for some exercise. Offered on Sunday evenings (7:45 pm) in the summer, this glow-in-the-dark SUP class at San Diego Paddle Yoga cruises around Mission Bay with LED lights strapped to the bottom of your paddleboard. With the light, you can see some marine life and fireworks from Sea World, not to mention get an amazing core workout while you’re at it. Though it’s not actually a SUP yoga class, feel free to get your three-legged dog on. (Image via)

HELLO!

I'm Archana, and My SoCal'd Life is a travel blog for the adventurous, hungry, and stylish explorer. I moved to San Diego in January 2013 after traveling the world for a year, and love finding, trying, and documenting my travel discoveries—whether that's off-the-beaten-path eats, beautiful beaches, or cool boutiques. >>> Let's go!